]]>http://www.biteclubeats.com/burtonz-bakery-opens-meat-pies-everyone/feed/1burtonz2BurtoNZ Bakery in Windsor, inspired by New Zealand. Meat Pies for Everyone!IMG_8991IMG_8993burtonz1teamMain_AllBlacksGratuitous photo of the All Blacks team. Right?Tlayuda Oaxacan Pizzashttp://www.biteclubeats.com/tlayuda-oaxacan-pizzas/
http://www.biteclubeats.com/tlayuda-oaxacan-pizzas/#commentsFri, 08 Jun 2012 21:04:14 +0000http://www.biteclubeats.com/?p=24145
Do you tlayuda? Often referred to as a Mexican pizza, these Oaxacan specialties are crispy flour tortillas topped with a schmear of refried beans, lettuce, carnitas, Mexican cheese, avocado and, if you’re lucky, a dribble of pork lard. Unless you’re a native, they’ll usually ask before adding the lard, but insiders know to ask for “asiento”.

Feeling adventurous? Try it at Tacos Carrenos, a taco truck parked at 5503 Old Redwood Highway in Santa Rosa. Tlayuda are $10.99 each, but big enough to share. You can also find tlayuda at Agave Mexican Restaurant, 1063 Vine St., Healdsburg.

(Thanks, Emily, for finding this terrific spot! Got a spot you’d like me to check out? Email me at heather@biteclubeats.com)

]]>http://www.biteclubeats.com/kin/feed/26JC and Brad of Kin RestaurantJC and Brad of Kin RestaurantInterior at Kinsignblackpatio at KinsignKid’s Menus at KinPastrami SandwichRoasted Pear SandwichKin BurgerPurist Pizza at KinPot Roast at Kinmac and Cheese at KinJC and Brad of Kin RestaurantJC and Brad of Kin Restaurantmac and Cheese at KinBistro M | Windsorhttp://www.biteclubeats.com/bistro-m-in-windsor-opens/
http://www.biteclubeats.com/bistro-m-in-windsor-opens/#commentsFri, 29 Jan 2010 12:10:31 +0000http://www.pourme.com/uncategorized/bistro-m-in-windsor-opensSettled into the Windsor Town Green Bistro M has familiar old friends from owners Bryan and Matthew Bousquet’s former restaurant, Mirepoix: steak frite, escargot, coq au vin and steak au poivre. But Bistro M has
a more relaxed, less brass-ring feel, tossing in a Croque Madame, hamburger, and Caesar salad into the mix for the lunch crowd along with charcuterie, oysters, cheeses and simple salads.

Make no mistake, however, that doesn’t mean you won’t find some classy nouveau rustic dishes at the Bistro with Bousquet’s signature all over them: Frog’s Legs Provencal ($13), Sweet Breads with Fries, Lamb Neck ($12) and Cassoulet.

Each Thursday he and wife Karla (the daughter of Costeaux Bakery owner Karl Seppi) whip up jambalaya, gumbo and boudin at the Windsor Farmer’s Market.

“It’s not a glamorous food,” Lippincott says of his southern rice sausage, or boudin, made with alligator, pork or crawfish, “but it’s good.” The couple use family recipes, authentic ingredients and say they’re selling out of their southern specialties each week.

Says the former Healdsburg chef, “I need to stick with what I’m good at.”

Lousiana Legacy Catering at the Windsor Certified Farmer’s Market, Old Downtown Windsor – Town Green, Thursdays from 5 to 8pm through the end of August. 707-237-1286 or louisianalegacy@gmail.com.

Bovolo/Zazu: “If you can’t make good vanilla, you can’t make good gelato,” says John Stewart, part of the duo behind Zazu and Bovolo Restaurants. With a flair for Italian, John and wife, Duskie Estes, are committed to doing gelato authentically. Starting with Clover milk, they don’t use a pre-made base like many others, but create the dense flavors with just cream, sugar, seasonal fruits, chocolate or other flavorings (including local wines like pinot noir). There are between 10 and 12 varieties at their Healdsburg cafe, changing up as they experiment with different ingredients. Most recently, a flavor gone wrong (Thai coconut milk) became a candy-lover’s delight: Almond Joy studded with coconut and almonds. What is gelato? This soft, creamy Italian version of ice cream is actually made with less butterfat than normal American ice cream, but less air — giving it a richer quality. Bovolo, 106 Matheson St, Healdsburg, (707) 431-2962.

Del Secco: With 40 flavors on the menu, Del Secco’s gelateria’s
has the scoop on Sonoma County’s sweet tooth. The Rohnert Park shop
features exotic sorbet and gelato (kind of like ice cream, but
creamier) flavors including blood orange, cantaloupe, gingerbread,
50-50v(think Creamsicle) and snowflake–a mixture of white chocolate
and coconut. The gelato’s not made onsite, but by the uber-popular,
flavor-savvy Gelateria Naia folks from the East Bay. Hungry yet? Grab a
spoon. 6285 Commerce Blvd., Suite 308, Rohnert Park, 585.1100, open
daily.

Screaming Mimi’s: Both social hub and bike-path destination (for
those heading from Santa Rosa along the Prince Memorial Greenway), this
homegrown scoopery dishes up ridiculously rich and creamy treats that
rotate through owner Maraline Olson’s 300 recipes. And though Mexican
chocolate or plain old vanilla may float some boats, the occasional
appearance of olive oil ice cream is a special treat. Wrinkling your
nose? The grassy, green flavor of olive oil is a perfect foil for the
sometimes cloying sweetness of ice cream. 6902 Sebastopol Avenue,
Sebastopol, (707) 823-5902. Healdsburg’s Snowbunny (312
Center St Healdsburg, (707) 431-7669) is also a fan of the olio
d’oliva, serving up a Fleur de Sel soft serve with a pinch of salt and
a drizzle of local green gold. They also, of course, have the usual
suspects, including fruit and candy toppings for their heavenly frozen
yogurt.

Yogurt Farms: Despite a rather non-descript exterior, this
Mendocino Avenue soft-serve emporium is cute as a cupcake inside, with
a resident plastic cow and more flavors than you can shake a spoon at.
Purists laud the tart, yogurty quality of this local frozen treat
purveyor. Plus, the nicest yogurt slingers in town. 1224 Mendocino
Ave., Santa Rosa, (707) 576-0737

Laloo’s Goat Milk Ice Cream: Laura Howard’s ultra-gourmet goat
milk ice creams and frozen yogurts have become the darling of the
dessert set after only two years of business. Studded with brownies,
local figs or whatever tickle her fancy, LaLoo’s frozen goat’s milk
also pack a healthy punch of protein and probiotics. Best bets: Low-fat
Rumplemint mint-chocolate chip and Cajeta De Leche frozen yogurt with
Mexican caramel and toffee bits. (Available at Whole Foods, Oliver’s
and Pacific Market).

Brownies from Rohnert Park’s Killer Baking Company were my top reason
to visit Santa Rosa’s Wednesday night market through the long hot
summer, but doubly so since Chef Michael recently released his new
maple, brownie bit and pecan ice cream. Also available at Oliver’s
Markets.

On the menu are several types of dim sum (finally come to SoCo), small plates of everything from panko prawns with wasabi-honey, chicken satay and Singaporean Roti Prata (a sort of flat bread with curry dip) to sautéed mung beans, garlic egg noodles and what you’ve come here for–seafood Nonya Laksa.

This Malaysian-inspired noodle soup starts with a thick, creamy coconut broth infused with pungent spices (cardamom, fennel, Chinese cinnamon bark to name a few) topped with clams, scallops, shrimp, fried bean curd and a hard-boiled egg. The crowning jewel is a dab of fresh coconut meat and a squeeze of lime. Exotic? Yes. But this kind of simple, honest, home style food is simply what Debbie (and many of the rest of us) having been craving ’round these parts. “This is just the stuff that I want to eat,” she says.

Add to her cravings Beef Lumpia ($6), a delicate fried spring roll bathed in a honey chili sauce that has a sweet, savory, hot flavor that begs to be licked from the plate. Sautéed mung bean sprouts arrive like a small work of art. They’re earthy and slightly bitter with bits of dried shrimp nestled inside, along with homemade shrimp and taro chips.

Garlic egg noodles are a signature dish that seem bland at first–little more than a plate of mostly unadorned homemade noodles. But they grow on you with each bite, tender, chewy and dangerously addictive. During lunch, plates of Rendang Beef and grilled pineapple baby back ribs come with an organic house salad, daikon soup (which Debbie says she grew up eating for breakfast) and jasmine rice. It’s a great way to sample a few dishes with a friend.

Dessert’s best bet is a simple coconut crème brulee. Do not turn it away no matter how full you are and don’t plan to share it. It’s that good.

The wine list is intriguing, with Chang’s past expertise in pairing Asian flavors with different grapes shining through. Currently the list is focused on wines mostly outside the area (European, Australian) but he’s adding more quickly, with plans for a large in-house cellar. The restaurant offers a complete menu of high-end sakes and exotic teas.